Biography
Joanna Sternberg, a New York native working as a singer, songwriter, and visual artist, has earned widespread praise and a devoted following through an affecting mix of confessional folk, ragtime-flavored melodies, and indie pop. Previously active as a jazz session bassist, Sternberg took up guitar and piano in the late 2010s to craft intensely personal material and secured a place on the Fat Possum roster. The 2019 debut Then I Try Some More delved into themes of hopelessness and self-doubt, featuring the notable track “This Is Not Who I Want to Be.” Four years afterward came the follow-up I’ve Got Me, which further refined Sternberg’s introspective and at times idiosyncratic approach.
Raised in New York City amid a household steeped in creativity, Sternberg grew up surrounded by a lineage of artists and musicians that included father Michael Sternberg, himself a painter and musician. Piano lessons began at age five, followed by a passion for drawing comics and periods of self-instruction on guitar and bass, during which Sternberg absorbed influences spanning Brahms and Scott Joplin to the Beatles. A performance degree on double bass from the New School led to several years of work in jazz clubs and orchestra pits throughout New York.
In early adulthood Sternberg started composing songs and developing a singing voice. Delivered in an earnest, unconventional tenor, these distinctive pieces confronted a persistent stream of self-criticism and personal fears, yet were anchored by sturdy, sentimental melodies more reminiscent of early American songwriters such as Scott Joplin or Stephen Foster than prevailing contemporary styles. An opening slot on Conor Oberst’s 2018 tour preceded the release of the debut album the next year on Oberst’s Team Love imprint. The record gained momentum over subsequent seasons and received a 2021 reissue on Fat Possum Records. During this interval Sternberg withdrew to the family residence in Manhattan Plaza, the longstanding New York haven for artists that once sheltered figures ranging from Duke Ellington to James Earl Jones, and there composed the material for the next album. Producer Matt Sweeney oversaw sessions in Brooklyn where Sternberg performed every instrument, created the cover artwork, and handled the string arrangements. The resulting I’ve Got Me sustained the artist’s rigorous self-examination while broadening the sonic range.
Raised in New York City amid a household steeped in creativity, Sternberg grew up surrounded by a lineage of artists and musicians that included father Michael Sternberg, himself a painter and musician. Piano lessons began at age five, followed by a passion for drawing comics and periods of self-instruction on guitar and bass, during which Sternberg absorbed influences spanning Brahms and Scott Joplin to the Beatles. A performance degree on double bass from the New School led to several years of work in jazz clubs and orchestra pits throughout New York.
In early adulthood Sternberg started composing songs and developing a singing voice. Delivered in an earnest, unconventional tenor, these distinctive pieces confronted a persistent stream of self-criticism and personal fears, yet were anchored by sturdy, sentimental melodies more reminiscent of early American songwriters such as Scott Joplin or Stephen Foster than prevailing contemporary styles. An opening slot on Conor Oberst’s 2018 tour preceded the release of the debut album the next year on Oberst’s Team Love imprint. The record gained momentum over subsequent seasons and received a 2021 reissue on Fat Possum Records. During this interval Sternberg withdrew to the family residence in Manhattan Plaza, the longstanding New York haven for artists that once sheltered figures ranging from Duke Ellington to James Earl Jones, and there composed the material for the next album. Producer Matt Sweeney oversaw sessions in Brooklyn where Sternberg performed every instrument, created the cover artwork, and handled the string arrangements. The resulting I’ve Got Me sustained the artist’s rigorous self-examination while broadening the sonic range.
Albums
Singles
